When the Day Met the Night
by Draug Isilme
Summary: Ichigo is part of a band, and he meets someone who inspires her. Full summary inside since there's apparently a limit to what I can write here -.-;
1. Tell Me What the Rain Knows

**Summary: Ichigo Kurosaki has always wanted to make it as a hot shot rock star. After having a fallout with a certain someone, he's been having trouble finding the right inspiration to captivate ones heart. The pressure is building, and his band mates aren't making it any easier! One night, he meets a feisty woman with violet eyes and raven hair. She may have become his new muse, but if you're only meeting this person in your dreams.. does that make them real?**

**A/N: It's been forever since I've written anything, so hopefully this won't turn to poop.. .;;.. As much as I would wish to do so, I do not own Bleach, nor do I own the song lyrics in this fan fiction… Enjoy ^.^**

**-Edit-: So just read about copyright infringement related to song lyrics. I'm going back over my chapters and editing out the songs, HOWEVER, I will still suggest certain songs in specific locations in the chapter where they were originally supposed to be while still providing the name of the band/artist and more than likely mentioning RIGHT next to it ALONG with a top/bottom a/n so nobody freaks****. That way if anyone whose like me and enjoys listening to songs while reading (especially ones that fit the story) then they can go look it up themselves. I love these songs and the only reason why I wanted to incorporate them specifically was to add what I thought was worth sharing; as in I'd like to share the same vibes these artists gave me while still crediting them and possibly even earning new fans for said artist. In turn it is giving credit where credit is due and then some... just in the same way I'm writing a fanfiction about two of my favorite Bleach characters (which is why I'm completely confused about the hypocritical situation, but I do understand that it's a legal matter in which I will comply with because I love this site- but am still very butt hurt over the situation because this completely ruins my plan for this story almost 100 fold). Because titles of the songs are omited from this rule, I will NOT be changing the titles to my stories- as they are the titles of the songs I based my chapters on. I still don't own them anymore than I did 10 minutes ago and making them my titles won't make it any different. Anyway... sorry for the negative rant. On with the show~ Enjoy**

Eyes were clenched tightly, as he struggled to find the right notes to hit on his black cherry Gibson guitar. Nothing this man tried to play seemed to strike the right key in his heart. It felt so hollow.. empty... His inspiration was lacking something he couldn't quite put his finger on, and it was beginning to get frustrating. He was fairly built, tall, a light tan from being outside so often, but what really stood out was his short, bright orange, hair that naturally stood up in all directions.

_Come on, Ichigo, focus! D? No-no.. G! God damnit.. E!_

Each chord that crossed his mind processed sloppily onto the fret of his guitar. It almost sounded like a wounded animal with how disheveled his fingers connected with each string. The longer he tried, the more agitated he became. Needless to say, he wasn't the only one feeling that way.

Surrounding Ichigo on his small, hand-crafted, make-shift stage were his band mates.

A tall, pale thin man with short black hair had a turquoise and white tiger stripped Les Paul slung over his shoulders and held to the side of his body. He seemed fed up with the lack of progress Ichigo was making and kept shaking his head, pushing his ever-tilting glasses up; almost as if it were a reflex every time he felt some twinge of emotion. A much taller, heavily built man stood next to him with a bright yellow bass. He was tanned a deep brown, his hair an even darker shade. His short, wavy hair was just long enough to cover one of his eyes. It seemed like he was more of a statue with how still he was, but just from the subtle features you could make out, it was obvious he was just as upset as the rest.

Giving out a sigh and a twitch of a brow, the paler one decided to speak up. "Ichigo, you've been at it for nearly an hour... I don't mind having band practice, but I came because I _thought_ you said you had an idea for a song." Almost as if he were trapped in his own world, Ichigo continued to strike horrible notes on his guitar, eyes still clenched shut. Letting out another exasperated sigh, he tried again. "Ichigo!" … Still nothing but notes.

"Forget it, Uryu. He's gone.."

The pale man turned his head to the pineapple-haired red head behind the large black drums. A white headband covered most of the tribal tattoo markings on his forehead and over his eyebrows. He was slouching in a short stool with his head propped on one of his hands, his other hand tapping lazily at one of the symbols with a worn out drumstick. Another eyebrow twitch came from Uryu.

"Well, I don't plan on standing here all day just for _him_ to come up with a song. Let alone a single chord!" He thought he had exaggerated it, but Uryuu swore he heard someone snoring away in the corner. That's when it caught his eye, and he turned his head to see their female keyboardist and synthesizer leaning back in her chair, legs propped up on her instrument. Apparently the short haired woman found it a good idea to listen to music on her mp3 player and fall asleep, while everyone else waited patiently for the orange haired man to come up with something at least resembling a melody. Uryuu slapped his forehead hard. He couldn't believe how disastrous this band session was turning out to be! Facing back to the drummer, he pointed his finger at the woman, "Tatsuki's even sleeping during rehearsal! This isn't what I had in mind when we decided to get together as a group.. I recall us dreaming of being on an ACTUAL stage! Standing in front of millions of people, _SCREAMING_ out our bands name! Maybe a few individuals crying out some of our own names." he added with a slight smirk.

The red head just leaned back in his seat, rolling his eyes. "Well, if you can do something with that," he pointed with his drumstick towards the orange haired man struggling to make out distinct notes, "then we _will_ be on an actual stage in front of millions, crying out my name." With that, he crossed his arms and grinned, satisfied by his last statement. Uryuu couldn't help but roll his eyes at how egotistical their drummer was at times. "Renji, you know that's easier said than done… I hate to admit it, but Ichigo is our best song writer. Why he's having writers block, I can only imagine it's because Senn-" before he could finish saying the name, the taller man beside him put a hand on his shoulder. Uryu turned his head to see what was wrong. "Chad, you know it's tru-" The muscular mans grip tightened even more. He stared at Uryu as if he were supposed to know exactly what he was trying to express. Seeing as how he couldn't understand the gestures, Chad nudged his head in Ichigo's direction. It was then Uryu noticed the room was silent. Turning his head, he looked at Ichigo, wondering why he had stopped playing. It was then he had noticed his composure and what he was saying was out of line.

Ichigo's expression was blank. He stood motionless, as if he were lost in time. It was only in his eyes that you could see the turmoil of emotions plaguing his very thoughts. Sadness, rage, happiness, jealousy, every single bit of human emotion that existed on the face of the earth could be seen within his fierce, amber eyes. Uryu suddenly felt a wave of guilt. He had gotten too caught up with his own predicament, he forgot the one taboo to avoid when around his friend.

"Ichigo.. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... It's just that.." "We're done for the day. Go home." Having said that, Ichigo didn't bother to turn to his band mates. No trace of remorse for being so cold to one of the few that's known him for a good portion of his life. He turned off his amp, unplugged his guitar, and put it in its rightful place on the stand next to the speaker. Hopping off the small stage, he walked towards his garage door and opened it, standing in the entrance, waiting for everyone to depart.

Uryu hung his head down in defeat, putting away his instrument in its case. Chad followed suit knowing that saying anything wasn't going to make the situation any better than it already was. They both left without a word, leaving Renji, Tatsuki, and Ichigo. Renji turned his head towards Tatsuki, waiting to see if she had noticed the sour change of predicament. She was still oblivious, snoozing away while music blasted into her ears. That's when he played a very obnoxious cadence loud enough for her to hear. Startled, she leaped up from her slumber to see what was going on. Her brown eyes connected with deep red ones. She glared and yanked the ear buds out. "What the hell was that for, Abarai?" Renji rolled his eyes and stood up. He turned to pick up his things, heading towards the exit. Without turning to face her, he spoke, "We're going. Band session is over." He kept walking until he was halfway down the driveway, then stopped, waiting for her to walk with him. Tatsuki glanced around, seeing everyone was gone. She was about to speak, but then Ichigo caught her eye. His disposition said it all, and with that, she gathered her things. Catching up with Renji, they finally departed. She gave him a look to ask what had happened, but he merely shrugged, keeping his silence.

With a heavy sigh, Ichigo finally turned and closed the garage door. He stood in front of the stage, examining all the instruments and equipment still sitting on it. Why was it so hard to write these days? He had just came up with a song that very day and called his friends to come over and figure out all the parts needed. Once his friends arrived, however, the song seemed to fade away into the very recesses of his mind. Almost as if it had never existed to begin with. Looking at the ground, Ichigo knew exactly why he was having so much trouble writing. _Senna_… He pushed the thought away as he headed through the door leading into his actual house. It was already getting late. The sun had set, and Ichigo felt worn out regardless of how inactive he had been all day.

Once he finally reached his bedroom, he stripped himself of all clothing, save for his forest green pinstriped boxers. Falling back into his large bed, he stared up at the ceiling. He never noticed how empty his house was without her.. The way her smile seemed to light up his world when all else failed. The way her laughter.. No. She had betrayed him, and the best thing he could ever do was forget about her. Things weren't meant to be like this. He was twenty-one years old, and by now, according to his standards, he and his band should already be out there giving out autographs to die-hard fans! Instead, he's become a starved artist, living from pay check to pay check in a small, hollow house. His cable was recently cut off due to late payments, and the next on the list was his phone, electricity, water, and the house itself. His father had made offers to help Ichigo out, but his pride kept him from doing so. This was his life. He wanted.. no, _needed_ to do it for himself. If not, then he would never make it on his own with how cruel the world was. Not to mention how embarrassing it would be if he were thirty-five and still getting help from dear ole dad. No.. he can pull it off. All Ichigo needed was some sort of inspiration.. A muse of some kind. With that last thought, sleep finally overtook his tired frame.

* * *

Raindrops felt like ice hitting his face while it seemed to pour from out of nowhere. In the middle of a desolate town he lay without a care in the world. His pinstriped leather jacket had a detachable hood made of cotton, but it was useless at this point. Not that the easily soakable material was going to do much good in the first place.. His body was drenched to the bone. His mind continued to play a song over and over, which he had written years ago; a time when he was still in school, before he and his friends got together to make the band, and before he met.. her. The soft piano part mimicking the rain matched perfectly with each drop he could hear hitting near his still form. While staring up at the cloudy sky, he began to sing in hopes of making his world seem less empty.

_**(Song I don't own: "Tell Me What the Rain Knows" Composed: Yoko Kanno/Singer: Maaya Sakamoto)**  
_

A woman's voice could be heard from above his head. Its owners footsteps coming closer towards where he was lying.

Short, jet black hair with deep violet eyes was hanging over him, a pink umbrella in the owners hand. It helped keep the cold water from stinging his seemingly numb face. His heart felt like it had skipped a beat because of how angelic her features were. Her voice was just as perfect and it fit well with his own masculine one. A warmness began to fill his core while the woman bending down smiled sweetly at him. He took notice of her silence, and decided he should sing the next line.

Her smile widened, as she found it appropriate to finish the heart stilling lamentation of his words with him. Just the sound of the two singing together made it seem like a perfect fit. Anyone else would only break the harmonious balance.

For a moment, there was silence. Even the rain ceased to fall from the skies. They were analyzing each other, trying to take in who or what this person really was. Seeing this woman with him, Ichigo could feel his heart sing. Everything about her presence felt right and he could tell by her expression that she seemed to be feeling the same way. After what seemed like hours, the woman finally spoke.

"I was passing by, and I heard your song. I've seen it before.."

Ichigo, perplexed by her meaning, smiled.

"Don't you mean heard?"

She shook her head lightly, taking this opportunity to stand up straight. Looking off into the distance, she spoke in a low voice.

"No.. I said what I meant. It's.. hard to explain."

He raised an eyebrow, inclining his head towards her.

"How is it possible to see someone else's song? I know I wrote it a while ago, but I can guarantee that there isn't any other like it. Trust me, I have copy rights."

He grinned at his last statement. She merely shrugged and stated matter-of-factly,

"Like I said, it's not easy to explain. It's just.. something you have to see for yourself. If you were like me and not one of the star-gazers, you would know."

He didn't quite understand what her words meant, but he decided to let it go, seeing how she wasn't wanting to explain such complications. Although, he couldn't help but ask at least one more question about it.

"Star-gazers?"

"You know.. an idealist.. a visionary.. The usual term is "dreamer," but after hearing it so many times, I've found it to be quite dull.. Wouldn't you agree?"

The raven haired woman began to walk away down the street, almost like their meeting had never come to pass. Ichigo, not wanting her to just up and leave the way she was, hopped onto his feet. "Wait!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. His arm was stretched out as if he wanted to pull her back towards him. The thought of this woman leaving just after he met her tugged at his chest, but he couldn't figure out why it pained him so much to see her go. Her entirety, to him, didn't match up to the women he's met in his life. Something about her was different.. And it was definitely not something he disliked about her.

Surprised by his actions, she slowly turned, facing him. "Yes?" A lump began to form in his throat. Words were becoming a distant memory the longer he gazed at this woman's form. Her short white skirted dress seemed to fit her just right. And the fact that it, as well has her boots matched her umbrella was just cute. Wait.. Cute? Since when did something such as cute ever register in his mind? A small coughing noise broke his train of thought, as the woman waited patiently for him to speak. That's when Ichigo made the worst mistake possible. The one thing he could manage to get out of his mouth.

".. short."

Her eyes narrowed into deathly daggers. The grip on her umbrella began to tighten, and a menacing aura radiated from her petite form.

"What did you call me..?"

Ichigo, realizing his mistake, began to cross his arms about wildly, trying to emphasize how far off from what he meant to say.

"No, no, no, no! That didn't come out right!"

"Oh, but I'm quite sure that it did!" She pointed her index finger with an accusing gesture.

"You're one to talk for someone who has a strawberry head like that!"

Feeling a twitch of anger pulsing through his temple, his palms were now clenched into fists. There was no possible way she was getting away with a comment like that, no one did!

"Hey, I can always dye my hair if I wanted to, but at least I'm not always gonna be a short midget like you!"

Having said that, she closed the gap she had built between them. Ichigo merely gave her a ".. the hell are you gonna do, shorty?" face. She couldn't stand his smug look, nor could she stand giving him the satisfaction of having the last word. That's when she closed her umbrella, and with both hands, shoved the blunt end into his gut. Ichigo's hands immediately flew to his stomach where she had hit him. He tried to take in oxygen to help alleviate the pain, but apparently she was much stronger than she looked.

_How the hell does someone her size manage to knock the air out of me?_

The woman didn't want to give him another chance to speak. She quickly turned around, and began walking at a brisk pace. Ichigo managed to turn his head up to see her fleeting form. No way in hell was he going to let her get away that easily! Gathering his composure, he started to walk at a fast pace. Seeing as how his legs were much longer than hers, it didn't take but a moment for him to catch up. She saw this and glared, but chose to ignore him. It was obvious he still wanted to talk, but there was no way in hell she was going to give him the satisfaction. Ichigo couldn't help but grin at her with how huffed her appearance became. He was finally having fun for the first time in months! Why, with such an oddly brought about predicament, he had no idea! But if it worked, then by god, it worked!

Deciding to go about their "conversation" a different way, he took a deep breath to calm his brash state of being. He didn't turn to look at her, but merely kept his head up and facing forward.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

The woman turned her head to look at him with a puzzled expression. He didn't break his composure. Instead of doing what he honestly wanted to do, which was to stare back into her dark violets with his amber ones, he kept his head straight forward.

"Excuse me?"

_You heard me.._ popped into his head, but if he wanted to keep this woman by his side, he decided it was best to keep comments like that to himself…. for now.

"Ichigo Kurosaki. That's my name.. What's yours?"

She looked unsure for a moment. Her gaze dropped from his face to the ground. Should she really give her name away to someone she had just met? Not to mention to someone who had called her a midget!

_Although, he does seem like he's trying to be more caring and less foolish with his actions.._ Finally coming to a decision, the woman abruptly turned her head to face him once again. A confident smile was placed well across her face.

"Rukia Kuchiki."

Ichigo finally took the opportunity to turn his head and look into her violet eyes that seemed to always make his heart skip every time he looked into them. They both stopped walking simultaneously and faced the other.

"Beautiful…" was all he said to the woman before everything began to fade into darkness.

* * *

The morning sun permeated through the window and directly onto Ichigo's still sleeping form. Laying on his stomach, his legs were sprawled out, while his arms were clutching the pillow his head was resting on. He noticed the burning sensation of bright orange piercing through his eyelids, and turned his head in the opposite direction. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. He stared at his wall for a while, trying to recall what he was dreaming about. A small smile appeared on his face. The thought of dark raven hair and violet eyes appeared in his mind. He felt his heart give another jolt of happiness. Was it just the sun beaming down on him that seemed to warm him from the inside out, or was it…

"Rukia Kuchiki…"

Getting up out of his bed, He sat down in the black leather chair next to it in the corner of the room. An acoustic guitar was propped up against it. Ichigo picked it up gingerly, the smile still etched into his face as well as the image of his newfound inspiration. Regardless of being in nothing but his boxers, he leaned back comfortably with his instrument in hand. Closing his eyes, he began picking at the stings with his fingers. This time instead of white noise, a simple, yet heartfelt melody streamed from his guitar. Remembering Rukia leaning over him, her figure shielding his face from the rain and her features that were ethereal.. and her voice.. heavenly… He finally found the right words to harmonize with his guitar.

_**(Song I don't own: "Black Hole Sun" Band: Soundgarden/Singer: Chris Cornell)**  
_

He stopped for a moment. The thought just dawned on him and he couldn't hold it in anymore. Tossing his head back, he laughed full heartedly. After all these months of nothing but gloom and depression.. After all this time of not being able to come up with a single thing to play or sing, he conjures up some make-believe woman, perfect beyond compare. _Well.. Except for maybe her height.. _he thought _But still! _And suddenly, he can make music with ease!

"Rukia Kuchiki.."

The name itself left a sweet taste on the tip of his tongue.

"Heh… I believe I've found my muse."

Little did Ichigo Kurosaki know, the raven haired woman was relieved beyond belief he had awoken from his sleep before he could see the deep, red blush that had crept onto Rukia's face. At that moment, she looked up to watch the sky and buildings fade away as well. Ichigo had left, therefore the dream he had conjured up must also part. She smiled as she walked down the streets of a city that seemed to fade into darkness.

"Ichigo… Kurosaki…"

She couldn't understand why, out of everyone she has met within the dreaming, this one particular person stood out the most. Lowering her head, she stopped and placed a hand over her heart.

"I suppose this means we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other.."

And with that last remark, she disappeared in a flash before the last bit of town was engulfed in the darkness.


	2. Fly From the Inside: Part I

**Chapter II: Fly From the Inside**

The grass and fallen leaves were hardened with frost. Not all the trees were bare, but a good number of them were radiant with fall colors. It was early morning, and there were a handful of people walking about with jackets on. Some pulled the collar of their coats up to shield themselves from the cool, chilling air. No one seemed to pay any mind to the woman walking along the top of a tall, cemented fence surrounding the edge of a park. You would think with a bizarre moment like this, she would be receiving the most awkward of stares. Instead, everyone that walked by or were near treated her like she was non-existent. Of course, ordinary people were not capable of seeing the ones who could pass through the dreaming.

Rukia Kuchiki found it amusing to walk across the barricade and pretend she was on a tightrope. A pair of white and pink earmuffs helped to shield her ears from the cold. A white trench coat trimmed with pink was wrapped tightly to her body, ending just below her hips, and white boots were loosely fitted on her petite feet. Ruffles from a white shirt could be seen peeking out just above the collar. She had on a pair of brown leather gloves, which matched her long, ruffled skirt. Her arms extended out to the sides, helping to keep her balance. She smiled happily, and each time she almost lost her stability, a light giggle would always come. Eventually, she walked far enough to see a lake ahead of her with a dock. She jumped down effortlessly off of the concrete barrier, as if she were floating downward touching the ground toes first, and ran towards it.

The view was just outstanding! The sun was high enough to reflect its light all across the water, making it seem like it was aglow with the suns rays. There were swans and ducks of all sorts flying just above her. Obviously, it was getting around that time of year for them to be off and out of reach from winters cold grasp. With how large the lake was, certain parts of it seemed to go on forever, melding with the color splashed sky. Each hue of color seemed to radiate with it's own sense of personality. The blues bringing a sense of calm and tranquility, the copper hues with the reds and oranges were set ablaze in all its glory, bringing that edge of urgency. Gracing the sky with its presence, a few large clouds took on like colors of the sky, as well as reflecting happily into the wavy waters of the lake. As contrasting as it was, the purple aspects complimented the bright yellow tones in the clouds greatly.

Rukia walked out to the very front of the dock. She used her arms to lift herself up and lean out, while a foot was used to hook onto the lower part of the wooden railing. Her face was just as radiant as the landscape, and it showed in the reflection she contentedly stared back at. Regardless of how many times she had been in other peoples dreams, there were those that still managed to take her breath away.

The vibrant cast of orange near and far began to bring a familiar image to her mind. One involving bright orange hair and amber eyes that felt like it could pierce into your soul. A blush started creeping onto her face as she recalled his last words before he disappeared.

"_Beautiful…"_

Shaking her head furiously, Rukia tried to brandish the thought of _him_ from her mind. What was the point in thinking about a guy she just met a week ago? Yeah, this man happened to have the strength to see her when she appeared in his dreams, but… there were more people out there able to do this than you would imagine.

_Although the way his eyes were looking into mine once I told him my name.. the care and sincerity in them and in his voice.. You can't fake something like that no matter how hard you tried._

Memories of Ichigo calling her short also came to mind. Closing her eyes shut, she growled in frustration, clenching the railing with her hands tightly.

"That bastard! He's nothing special! I'm sure he's just like every other guy I've met! Smug, egotistical, arrogant, immature, and doesn't give a rats ass about the people around him!"

Rukia felt better letting out her frustrations verbally. Although, it didn't quench the nagging feelings in the back of her mind.. Maybe if she..? Using her legs, she managed to stand tall on top of the railing. She took the time to take a few deep breaths. Each exhale could be seen and blown away by the wind.

_Maybe if I could manage to cleanse myself from these speculations consecutively plaguing my mind, I wouldn't have to think about such trivial thoughts?_

After giving herself a moment to reflect, she finally took a plunge head first into the chilling depths of the lake.

* * *

It was already dusk and Ichigo Kurosaki was out and about on his Kawasaki 2009 Ninja 650R. The candy thunder blue paint contrasted nicely with his hair and eyes. He had bought it brand new a couple of years back after graduating high school. Much cheaper in comparison to buying a new car, and the gas mileage was definitely worth it. Yeah, it was considered dangerous, but that was the way Ichigo liked it. Why not live on the edge if all you're supposed to have is one life? Depending on what you believed in, of course. Either or, Ichigo never found it pointful to delve into such trivial matters.

He had on a blue zip up trench coat with a high collar and white fur trimmed around the sleeves. On the front were a pair of lions wearing crowns. Together, they stood with their paws resting against a crest. His hands were covered with mint green gloves, which were wrapped with gauze around the palms of his hands. The jeans he had on were faded and worn out, being held up by a black belt with a silver dragon buckle. He had on a pair of black sidestreet boots; the underside was grooved and bits of the sole were bright orange. Ichigo never cared to dress up the way he was now, but he had a show to do with his band mates at a fairly good sized nightclub. It was located downtown of Karakua, featuring local bands, drinks, and a small café.

A guitar case was strapped to his back. It didn't make riding any easier than it already was, but Ichigo had become accustomed to the awkward weight shifts as he turned and swayed through traffic. He had finally arrived at the café bar, and he could tell by the look of the crowded line that tonight was going to be "one of those nights." Hopping off his bike and turning it off, he headed towards the entrance of the nightclub. One hand was tucked away in his pocket, while the other half-hazardously held the strap to his case. He met up with a very tall and large bouncer keeping the cluster of people in check, as well as letting them in single file. The man and Ichigo made eye contact.

With a smirk, Ichigo waved with the hand holding the case; his thumb still tucked under the strap. "Hey, Jidanbou." The bouncer stepped aside, away from the doorway. Instead of the scowl he had kept while working, he gave Ichigo a rich and genuine smile.

"Hey, Ichigo! Long time, no see? The others are already here and waitn' in the back. Break a leg, why don't chya?" Jidanbou let out a hardy laugh and patted Ichigo harshly on the back of his guitar case while he passed through the doors, nearly causing Ichigo to fall over. Exasperated, he rolled his eyes with his classic scowl planted on his face. Ichigo didn't mind Jidanbou, but sometimes he just didn't realize how much oomph was let out in those powerful thumps of his.

Everywhere Ichigo looked, it was packed with characters of all shapes and sizes. The vast majority were scandalously clad women dancing to the music being pumped throughout the building. The bass of the music was so loud, he swore it was causing his heart to beat in unison. There were colored lights flashing in all sorts of direction, as well as glow sticks being tossed around or worn by some. It was almost suffocating with how difficult it was squeezing through the army of people swaying, be it to the beat, in a drunken stupor, or attempting to squeeze by themselves. Looking at the club on the outside, you wouldn't think it possible to fit a large crowd, such as the one Ichigo was being swarmed by inside. Instead, it seemed all anyone could do is take a step in and there wouldn't be anything but the back wall. However, once in, you find yourself flabbergasted by everything incorporated within the structure, bar and all, as well as the people inside it.

The bar and café separated from the dance floor was dimly lit. While passing by, Ichigo could feel eyes on him, and hear several catcalls from women, who were heavily inebriated. Well.. Not _all _of them were intoxicated with alcohol. Some with dates tried to burrow holes into the back of his head, but in all honestly, Ichigo could care less. None of these people were worth his time, and all he was interested in was having fun with his friends on and offstage afterwards.

Eventually, he made it to the rear of the club. He placed his case on the mini-catwalk of the platform, and using his arms, pulled himself atop of it with ease. Renji was on the stage as well, putting his drums together while Tatsuki made sure the cables to her synthesizer and keyboard were plugged in and out of the way for any of the guitarists positioned in front of her. Picking up the guitar case by the side handle, he walked up to the two prepping their instruments and waved a hand over at them. Ichigo noted that Chad's bass and Uryu's guitar were already hooked into their amps and resting on guitar stands.

Renji was first to respond by nodding his head towards Ichigo. Obviously he wanted to finish setting up his drums before plunging himself into a conversation. Tatsuki finished setting up her instrument before Renji did and walked over to Ichigo enthusiastically. You could see a glow of light radiating from her. She was definitely excited about playing on stage, again. Even he couldn't deny he had butterflies fluttering about in his gut.

"'Bout time, Kurosaki! Everyone else is in the back waiting for curtain call."

Placing a hand on the back of his head, he smiled and a small sweat drop dripped down the side of his temple.

"Heh, yeah, sorry about that. Traffic was heavier than I thought it was going to be…"

Tatsuki placed her hands on her hips, letting out a sigh.

"Don't worry about it. At least you're here. You should probably go ahead and set up. We've still got-" She checked the leather bound watch on her petite wrist," about twenty minutes left."

He nodded to her in understanding. Setting down his case next to an empty guitar and microphone stand the orange headed man crouched down and began to set up his instrument. Ichigo already knew it was Uryu that had left the two objects for him. _Bastard knew I was gonna forget.._ He was irritated at himself, but knew he'd have to thank Uryu later for it regardless of how much it was going to hurt his pride.

He could see Tatsuki leaving from his peripheral vision, then noticed she stopped abruptly to approach him once more.

"By the way, I've been meaning to ask you something…"

He didn't bother to glance up at her. Instead, he found it more appropriate to talk to her while still working on his task at hand. _Save a bit of time in the long run.._ ran across his mind.

"Yeah? What is it?"

Twiddling her fingers, Tatsuki attempted to seem as nonchalant as possible.  
"So that new song you came up with last week… How'd you come up with it?"

"Oh, that.. I just.." He hesitated, attempting to choose his words wisely," I just found my muse, is all."

That's when her fingers stopped fidgeting. Her eyes were wide, and a worried expression settled in place of her energetic one.

"It-… It's not _her_ is it?"

Anger flickered in his eyes, but only for a moment. Ichigo opened a small compartment in the case that held his personal microphone, picked it up, closed the case all together, and stood up to face her. He made sure amber locked with brown; it helped intensify his meaning behind his words and helped make sure Tatsuki understood completely.

"No. It's a different source of inspiration this time."

Relieved by hearing this, she smiled.

"Oh, great!" She slammed a fist into the side of his arm. An 'oomph' sound came from Ichigo. "I'm happy for you, Kurosaki! Glad to know things are starting to look up for you." She started heading towards the backstage room, but turned around to face him with a winking eye," This new 'source of inspiration' of yours is a lucky one. Or should I say 'unlucky?'"

With that last remark, the dark haired woman left to hang out with the others. Ichigo rolled his eyes. It was obvious with her words that she knew his latest basis for inspiration was a woman. How women knew certain things, such as this baffled him beyond belief. Even Tatsuki, a tomboy whose usually far from being feminine in any manner whatsoever save for occasional fashion sense, had _some_ kind of ESP!

Ichigo finally placed the microphone in its rightful place on the stand and plugged it in, along with the cord to his guitar. His setup didn't take much to handle, unlike Renji who was just now making the finishing touches to his drum set. He was already done and headed towards the small stair case leading into the backstage room next to it. It was then, something that Tatsuki said finally hit him. It really had been a week. A week since he had seen or heard from his violet eyed muse. Every night since then, he found himself looking forward to seeing her, again. Yet, every night in the same empty town he envisioned himself to be, Rukia Kuchiki never seemed to be there no matter how many times he tried to will her into his world. Which was a lot more complicated than it needed to be, Ichigo thought.

_I mean.. how hard is it to re-create a person I, in fact, _ know_, conjured up? It shouldn't take this much effort. And even so.. By now, you think she would've appeared. So why hasn't she-…?_

Another thought struck him at this moment. The week had been so busy with band practices and thinking of, in a very literal sense,'the girl of his dreams,' Ichigo never realized something else was missing. Not that the orange headed man was going to complain, but for something he hated, you think he would've noticed.

_Ever since that day… it's always been raining wherever I went in my dreams. Even with Senna around, I could never escape that cold, unwanted feeling inside.. And now I realize once I saw _ her_…_

"… it hasn't rained since."

"What was that you were sayin', Ichigo?" A pink furry arm with a baboons skull was slumped lazily around Ichigo's left shoulder. It startled him, but he refrained from elbowing his friend in the gut after realizing the pink monstrosity wasn't trying to strangle him. He turned his head to face his friend on his right.

"I was saying, _Renji_, that you should put on a shirt under that jacket of yours."

The red head glared at Ichigo. He lifted his arm off of Ichigo's shoulder and crossed it with his other. The jacket he was wearing was the typical black leather one you would see on a biker, save for the left sleeve and across the shoulders and collar, which were covered in an interesting pink, furry material. On his hands were fingerless leather gloves, which exposed his knuckles. Part of his torso was wrapped with gauze, and he had on very worn out grey jeans riddled with cuts and tears.

"Please.. Just because someone else is conscious of his own body," Renji nudged his head towards Ichigo's upper body, which may as well have been covered completely," doesn't mean someone like me has to hide his own perfectly sculpted figure."

Ichigo scoffed while rolling his eyes.

"Yeah right.. If anything, you're just drawing attention to yourself. And let me assure you, _Abarai_.. Receiving attention isn't necessarily a good thing." he took the time to wink at his glaring friend," So keep that in mind."

His friend crossed his arms, eyes closed and tattooed eyebrows furrowed closely together.

"Whatever… Anyway, let's hurry up and get backstage. I wanna chill with what little time we have left before we start the show."

Ichigo had to agree, following his spiky haired friend. It would be nice to sit and talk to his closest friends before going all out in front of a crowd, once more.

* * *

Rukia Kuchiki continued to swim down into the bowels of the vast, freezing lake. Water stained in brilliant tinctures of orange soon became a dispirited shade of cerulean. Then to navy. Then to grey. Darker. Deeper. In her mind, she was diving into the depths of her subconscious in order to wash away unwanted attachments. Regardless on how she felt on the situation, there wasn't a reason for her to become entangled with such trivial thoughts. This man isn't, and will _never_ be a part of the dreaming. It was something Rukia knew very well, yet her emotions loved to tell her otherwise.

_This man is not meant to live as I live. He will never exist on this plane as a whole, nor will I ever stand by his side in the world he is destined to reside in. He will never age as I age… Over time, he will succumb to the winged one, whilst I remain trapped in this accursed body- a youth forever frozen in life's cruel twist of fate._

Pressure could be felt building around her petite form the further down she went. A vast amount of air bubbles emitted from her mouth. She could feel the lack of oxygen constricting her lungs, and the compression of water surrounding her was beginning to feel suffocating.

_My obligation.. my duties must come first. I have to continue with my responsibilities; to keep the dreaming safe and free of the blight threatening to overtake it. 'Lest I fall back into my own self-pitied tragedy. Back when I…-When he.._

A stunning shade of teal for eyes and dark hair flashed within her consciousness. She could feel her heart constrict as she imagined a playful grin graced upon that mans lips, the pure bliss of happiness when he laughed, the way her name rolled off his tongue effortlessly when he wanted her… It felt like her body was beginning to die from the inside out. She wanted to scream, but all that came out were bubbles within the darkness.

_No..! I can't take this.. I just need to…- I gotta.. I-.. Oh God… no! Just…-_

A flash of light, and Rukia Kuchiki found herself breaching the surface of another dream. She felt her body instinctively take in a massive gasp of air. The sensation was intense, putting her in a daze as her body went limp in the cool, calming ocean. Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of waves crashing onto a beach not far from where she appeared. The sound of seagulls also helped soothe her irrational thoughts, as well as the feeling of warm rays gracing the pale surface of her skin. Winter wear that once adorn her physique was now replaced with a white bikini. Splashes of violet flowers were strategically placed throughout the bits of fabric. The shade of purple matched the intensity of her eyes.

"Just breathe, Kuchiki…. Breathe."

In and out, her chest rose and fell. The steady breathing helped put her in a deeper plane of relaxation. Letting the calm, serenity of the dream engulf her, she was finally able to be at ease with her thoughts. The sun was at its peak in the bright blue sky, indicating it was only midday. Not that it helped her in any sense. Passing through dreams meant various terrains, different times of day or night; practically anything, if you set your mind to it. Surprisingly enough, no one was on the beach at this moment. Not that it bothered Rukia- it helped to take in the beautiful scenery all the more. It was just her, and the vast ocean surrounding her. Nothing else… Just calm.. Quiet.. Serene..-

Rukia's body shot straight up. Her eyes were wide, fear evident within them. Her head shot from side to side, looking for something.

_I'm absolutely certain I heard it… I know I…-_

Closing her eyes and lowering her head, she began tuning out her surroundings- as if she were feeling for a certain source she was all too familiar with. A blood-curdling scream could be heard off in the distance, causing here violet eyes to shoot open once more.

"There!"

In the blink of an eye, Rukia Kuchiki disappeared from the calming oasis that was a strangers dream.

* * *

Once Ichigo and Renji made it inside the backstage room, they both greeted Chad and Uryu; who both happened to be lounging on one of the sofas provided for performers. Tatsuki noticed her friends in the reflection of one of the brightly lit mirrors, but was too preoccupied with last minute make up touches. Once Uryu and Ichigo locked eyes, the black haired man gave the other a self-satisfied grin. It was obvious why he was acting so cocky, and the more Ichigo thought about it, the more he could feel his pride being kicked down and stepped upon. He was about to retort with a witty remark, but stopped abruptly. The red head bumped into a rather tall stack of boxes, which almost toppled over on both musicians if it weren't for cat-like reflexes and team work. Both Renji and Ichigo's hands were tightly clenching the boxes to make sure the objects couldn't move. Neither of the two could help but let out a sigh of relief. A sheepish smile was plastered on Renji's face as Ichigo glared daggers at him. Turning from applying mascara, Tatsuki began to glare at Renji as well.

"Oi! Watch where you're goin', ya big ape! Otherwise, you're liable to injure or conk someone out, and then where would we be?"

Making sure the boxes were straightened out and not likely to tip over, he quickly turned to face his verbal attacker.

"Chill, Arisawa! No one's hurt, and even so, what's the worst thing that could happen if me or Ichigo were knocked out cold..? I mean, I doubt anyone's going to the hospital with the junk decorations loaded in these boxes."

Tatsuki rolled her eyes, turning back to the mirror and re-applying mascara.

"Well, I don't' know about you, but I'm not up for the idea of giving back everyone's money that paid to see us.. Did you not notice the huge-ass crowd out there? It's PACKED!"

All Renji could do was make a "tch" sound and shrug, but he knew their keyboardist was right. Had anything bad enough happened to either of the two, it would more than likely mean their chances of getting famous would be that much farther than it already was to begin with. He already had plans for the money he was going to earn for this one gig, and he knew everyone else in the band had plans as well. No way could anyone afford such a blow. Each member has put their life into making this band or not making it at all, which meant it wasn't only Ichigo that was struggling to get by in life.

Ichigo remained where he stood while Renji made his way to the couch to join Chad and Uryu. His nerves were getting the best of him, and the idea of sitting could not abate the anxiety growing deep within. It wasn't the idea of being on stage that irked him, nor the idea of a massive crowd watching his every move. It was the idea of failing that set him on edge. He knew the risks if this band did not succeed, and knowing his friends would fall just as far as he would was more than unsettling.

_'Just breathe, Kurosaki... Breathe.'_

After taking a few deep breaths, he felt his body beginning to relax. Freaking out over such matters wasn't going to help him in this case. Ichigo has done plenty of shows with his band mates before, and he knew that if he set himself up for such failure, it was sure to come. No... He could do this. Tatsuki, Uryu, Chad, Renji.. they can all make it! Their attempts in the past brought them so close! Had it not been for Ichigo's last episode, they would've made it to fame. He would be damned if he was going to let something like a woman or anything else bring him and everyone down, again.

Uryu finally spoke up, turning his head to Tatsuki.  
"So, I thought you said your friend Orihime was going to be here?"

After adding the final touches, the short-haired woman closed the small bottle of mascara and set it down on the counter. She turned around and approached the three men sitting on the couch.

"Yeah, she's here. She said she had to go to the bathroom, so she should be in there."

At that moment, a door next to the row of mirrors swung open. Long burnt orange colored hair cascaded around the woman emerging from the small washroom. A couple of sky blue hair pins kept her long hair from getting into her face, save for her bangs, which were too short to be held in place. Her body definitely screamed "curvacious" especially when it came to her large breasts. It was obvious her chest was just itching to be unbound by her long sleeved polo shirt. The orange, yellow and lime green horizontal stripes didn't help draw away any attention and her red zip up collar was down all the way, showing just enough, if not more, cleavage than needed. Her jeans hugged her nicely and her shirt was just short enough to somewhat show off the slender curves of her midriff.

Uryu, pushing up his glasses with his index and middle finger, sported a blush upon his cheeks while he looked away in embarrassment. It wasn't that Orihime looked unbecoming- far from it, in his opinion. Of course, for the short raven haired man, that _was_ the problem. Renji, having gotten used to looking past the woman's endowed physique, grinned and waved at her.

"Hey, Orihime! Long time no see!"

The burnt-orange haired woman gave a sheepish smile and waved full heartedly at the red head.

"Hey Renji! Uryu! Chad!"

While her eyes scanned the room, her eyes finally caught sight of orange. She felt her heart skip a beat and a small blush crept onto her cheeks. It was hard to keep in her enthusiasm any longer. Giggling like a giddy school girl, she flung her arms up in the air.

"ICHIGOOOoo~! It's been so long since I've seen you!" Running in the orange haired mans direction, she tackled him in an abrasive hug. Uryu's gaze became a glare in the amber-eyed mans direction.

Being unprepared for such a greeting, Ichigo had little time to react. His stance was just strong enough to keep the two on their feet. However, his body bumped into the stack of boxes behind him.

All Ichigo could remember was everyone screaming his name, and then.. darkness.


	3. Fly From the Inside: Part II

**A/N: **So... it's been some years... I apologize to anyone who's following me (If I still have followers/fans) but it's one of those things that's hard for me to do... Anyway, I had a lengthy A/N earlier, but for some reason it didn't save so I'm just gonna leave it be... Also, to note the chapters are based off of known/existing songs. I'll post links later on after this chapter.. I personally like the vibe of reading the chapters while listening to the song, so if there's anyone out there like me... then there ya go. I'll also start posting titles and the artist/band next to the lyrics when they begin so anyone who'd like to can look them up on youtbe or something. That way you can "follow along"... Anyway, enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** Bleach? And the songs? Not even close to owning...

**Chapter III: Fly From the Inside II**

Fluttering his eyes open, Ichigo found himself lying in the middle of a street in a bleak and deserted town. The sky was riddled with light gray clouds, yet there was still no rain. He stayed in that position for a moment, trying to recall what had happened and how he had come to be in this world. It was all a blur... All he could remember was Orihime rushing at him in a death-grip hug, his friends crying out to him, and then...? What? Wasn't he supposed to be doing a gig with his band mates? Sitting up, Ichigo began to analyze his attire. He was no longer wearing the blue trench coat or his mint green gloves, or his sidestreet boots or faded pants and buckle. Instead, he was back in his pinstriped leather jacket with red fingerless gloves, his jeans, a white muscle shirt, and a pair of blue converse.

_'Am... am I dreaming? I don't remember falling asleep... but..'_

Finally standing up, the carrot top took a few stumbling steps. Every time he entered into the dream world, it almost had the feeling of waking up and being reborn. Any past existence was either forgotten or irrelevant and anything taking place in the dreaming was a whole different experience. Sometimes, it felt as though his dreams were more absolute than his physical reality. Of course, Ichigo knew better than to think like a child... No, this was, in fact, a dream and how he wandered into the dream realm completely eluded his very thoughts.

"Wait... I remember Renji had bumped into a stack of boxes when we entered the room.."

A flash of red caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he could see a person walking out of a blackened doorway which seemed to appear in the middle of the street a small distance away.

".. Renji? What're you doing here?"

With his hands still tucked away in the pocket of his jeans, the red head continued to walk without any recognition of Ichigo's presence. Another figure appeared from the opening with bright orange hair right behind the red head. As soon as the second figure came out completely, the dark passage seemed to dissipate from the top down until it had completely vanished. The red head seemed to bump into an invisible object to his left, and a tall stack of boxes slowly began to appear in the concealed bulks place as the two new comers made a mad dash to keep the tall structure from toppling over. That's when it hit Ichigo that it wasn't actually Renji. His mind was merely projecting a mental image of his memories to him "physically." Crossing one arm in front of his chest while the other came up for his knuckles to rest against his lips, he watched Renji and "himself" finally stabilize the boxes. The hand that was resting to his lips was now lifted from his face and pointing at the scene.

"But that's not when I fell unconscious.. was it? Orihime-..."

Renji's carbon copy soon faded out of site and it was just the counterpart of Ichigo left leaning against an invisible wall next to the stacked boxes. Another doorway appeared a few feet away from the left of Ichigo's duplicate. The real orange haired man crossed both his arms in front of his chest, waiting patiently to see what would happen next. This time, a large breasted woman with long, burnt-orange hair stepped out. The black opening faded in the same fashion as the previous doorway. The woman seemed to be smiling and waving at something, or someone, that was supposed to be there, but were in fact, non-existent. Soon enough, her attention came to the false Ichigo. She became excited and embraced him enthusiastically. Ichigo's duplicate managed to stay on his feet, but apparently his back bumped into the large stack. Suddenly a chorus of "ICHIGO!" from various people he recognized could be heard echoing throughout the deserted town as a box tumbled down on top of the clone's head. As soon as that happened, the illusion of the two soon faded out of site along with the boxes.

"... Damnit, Orihime!"

Slamming a hand to his forehead, he finally realized one of the boxes did end up falling on top of him, rendering him unconscious. Giving Orihime hugs was one thing, and her being a clutz in general was another... However, when it came to something as big as playing a gig to help not only him, but his band members become famous and more importantly, help them all pay bills and buy groceries.. THAT... was a different matter. Ichigo's hands flew up to his hair as he began to grasp the short strands tightly.

"Fuck! Wake up!"

After pacing back and forth several times in angst, Ichigo finally took in a deep breath and sighed. No point in getting worked up if there wasn't anything he could do about it. All he really could do at the moment was wait it out and hope for the best. Tucking his hands into his jean pockets, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, legs sprawled out carelessly. Leaning back his head, he pondered on what he should do to at least help pass the time. He could only imagine how "well" things were going in the real world. Renji, Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu… He knew it wasn't his fault, but Ichigo felt like he was letting everyone down. Closing his eyes, he began to let his mind wander, clearing any negative thoughts from his mind.

Hair as black as night and violet eyes that gleamed like stars flashed behind his closed eyelids.

Ichigo's eyes shot open. His body became stiff at the sudden voice echoing throughout the empty city. He could hear footsteps resonating just as clearly as the voice. The orange haired man's inner core became heated and his body became erect in his seat. Looking around anxiously, the man tried to see who the person was. _It's her! I know that voice anywhere!_

Empty… The town was still desolate, and he was the only one to be seen in it. A scowl spread across his face.

"I know I'm not hearing things…"

Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate on the image of the one he desired to see.

The same haunting voice soon echoed within his world.

"There!"

Standing up immediately, the orange headed man took off down one of the roads trying to follow the direction he could swear he heard the voice coming from. Eventually, he slowed to a stop. The man could no longer hear her voice, and still hadn't come across a single soul in the town. Taking in a deep breath, Ichigo began to sing the part he remembered singing when he first met his raven haired mistress.

Right when he began to sing the last verse of the song, her voice came in with his, harmonizing with ease. Ichigo took off down a turn on a different road and he could see the woman's figure standing alone, her back facing towards him holding a pink umbrella over her head.

"Heh.. Rukia!"

Making a mad dash towards the woman, she slowly turned to look at him. His eyes locked with hers, and for him it felt as though his heart were about to leap out of his throat.

Right when she finally came in reach, Ichigo grabbed for the woman's shoulders. It was then that Rukia Kuchiki seemed to fade and disappear just like when Renji, Ichigo's duplicate, and Orihime appeared in his dream. His eyes widened in surprise. His hands resting at his sides became fists and his body tensed up in response. Teeth clenched and eyes shut tight, he was becoming angry.

"What the hell is going on? I finally managed to bring her back, but it's not the same as last time!"

Frustrated, Ichigo punched at a nearby speed sign. The pole folded into his fist and took on the unique contours of his hand. For a brief moment, the man pondered if it was because he was angry or if it was because he was in a dream that he could not feel pain in his hand. _Heh.. maybe it's both?_ Inhaling deeply and exhaling just the same, Ichigo's body soon became relaxed. His fists were loosely at his sides and his eyes were closed in contemplation.

"Where can I go to find you… Rukia? Where are you?"

He raised his head towards the sky, eyes open, and spoke to no one in particular. The man's voice seemed to grow louder with each passing word.

"I know you have to be here! Somewhere! Maybe I'm not meant to find you in my own dreams, but I know you exist in some form or another!"

Ichigo began to concentrate on everything he could remember about the woman. Her features, the sound of her voice, the way she moved, her unique aura which emanated from her and there was no doubt that there could be another like it. The orange haired man concentrated on all of these things to perceive a crystal clear picture that was none other than Rukia Kuchiki. With his right arm, he reached out towards the sky imagining it was her he was trying to grab hold of.

"I'll find you… I don't know how I'll do it, but I'm gonna try my damndest!"

Piercing through the dark clouds, a beam of light began to shine directly above Ichigo. He squinted his eyes but kept them open to try and see anything that might be emerging from its luminous rays. A long ribbon that was the deepest red Ichigo ever laid eyes on soon fluttered down towards him. Its source was unknown as it seemed to go on forever into the sky and beyond. As if it had a mind of its own, the ribbon encircled his outstretched palm, but never encased. Ichigo stared at it with awe, wondering if it was letting him decide whether or not to take hold of the silken band. Just as Ichigo was about to pull his hand away out of caution, a glimmer of violet flickered within his consciousness and a soft, barely audible voice could be heard within his core.

"Ichigo…"

Hearing the familiar sound calling out his name caused the orange haired man to instinctively grasp onto the strip of material. That's when the ribbon tightened and constricted his hand and wrist. A sudden jerk came from the ribbon. Ichigo could feel his feet leaving the ground as he was being reeled in towards only God knows where. It seemed the higher he went, the faster he was being pulled. Soon he flew past the clouds and towards the colorless sky. Fear began to creep over his senses. Every fiber of his body was telling him he was about to hit something, but all he could see was vast emptiness. A few more feet into the air, and suddenly his body instinctively braced itself. That's when Ichigo felt himself running into a wall. It scared him more than it hurt, but even so it fascinated him all the more. Holding up his free hand, he placed it against the invisible force field. It looked as though the ribbon was cut off, but somehow it seemed to keep going through the barrier. He could feel a slight tug still coming from the band so it must keep going past this wall!

_Maybe this is…. The border where my dreaming world ends? So then.. what's on the other side?_

If only he could….. Closing his eyes, Ichigo concentrated. He imagined himself passing through the border and into the next realm. The wall remained as solid as it had before. A few minutes passed and Ichigo was about to give up. Right before he took his hand away, the barrier finally caved in. It felt as if the solid mass became a pliable sheet that gave way. The more he pushed, the more he went through. Ichigo managed to push through the force field up to his elbow. He still felt its presence pushing down all around his arm, but Ichigo figured it was much better to deal with this than the solid force he ran into not long ago. Eventually, Ichigo found the courage to assert his entire body through the barrier. Slowly but surely it worked. The pressure surrounding him however felt like it constricted his breathing.

_Keep calm, Kurosaki. You're dreaming, you don't really need air to breathe in this world… Just keep calm and you'll get outta this in no time._

Soon enough, he could feel the ribbon slowly dragging him through the compressed space and further away from his own dream world. Looking back, to him it seemed like a spherical bubble with a four-perspective, topsy tervy version of the city he was used to inhabiting. Looking around, Ichigo then noticed that there seemed to be thousands, if not MILLIONS, of similar spherical bubbles. With the many orbs encircling him, he felt as if he had just launched into outer space and was finally able to see the stars for what they really were. The very sight took his breath away… well… felt like it did anyway.

_Wow… where.. the fuck.. am I?_

A few short minutes later, he found he was being hauled towards one of the many spheres. As tempted as he was to flinch before running into the dream world, Ichigo took the time to concentrate on passing through the barrier like he did previously. Instead of colliding with the wall, he slowly eased through. A sudden force of gravity took hold and he found himself nose diving head first towards the cemented ground. Eyes wide, arms flailing about, he couldn't do anything but scream as he fell further down… down… Clenching his fists, Ichigo tightly closed his eyes and mentally screamed the one word that came to mind.

_STOP!_

He couldn't bear to open his eyes. His arms were crossed in front of his face and for a moment he kept his body entirely still….. silence… he couldn't hear the air rushing past his ears.. couldn't feel himself hurtling towards some silly random happenstance of impending doom.. Did time just.. stop? Ichigo finally took the time to open his eyes. There he was floating merely inches away from the hard concrete street of a town he's never seen before. His body relaxed and he took a deep sigh of relief. As he did so, it was like a magic spell that was cast upon him was broken. His body finally took a hard ker-PLUNK and fell the rest of the way onto the ground. Sitting up straight, he clenched his nose.

"FUUUCK~! THAT HURT!... fuckin' gravity.."

Ichigo made sure his nose wasn't bleeding. As sore as it was, he diagnosed that he was going to live and all he needed was to quit giving a rat's ass about a little bit of pain. Besides, there were DEFINITELY more important things at hand.. He stood up and finally took a look around. He was in a city, just not one he could recognize. There was a unique edge to the style of the buildings which seemed to indicate the person who dreamed this place up was from a different part of Japan if not a different country entirely. Yep.. he definitely wasn't in Kansas anymore… Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream was heard followed by a loud BOOM! A huge puff of smoke, dust, and debris could be seen in the… little too close for comfort but far enough to not have to dodge hurtling objects distance. Startled and eyes wide open, Ichigo started looking in all directions to find the source. He then looked down to the palms of his hands. The blood colored ribbon was still wrapped around his right hand yet there wasn't a single tug to be felt. He followed the ribbon with his eyes to see if he could find where it was headed. After a ways, the ribbon took a left turn down a street. Another demonic shriek could be heard followed by another boom and ploom of smoke. However, this time followed after came a loud scream of terror. This one sounded like a female…. Ichigo let in a harsh gasp. "Rukia!" was all that slipped from his mouth as he began to run down the ribbon's path.

He finally made it to where the explosions were happening, but he didn't like what he saw. Streets were literally torn to pieces, the buildings seemed to be standing, but they also had cavernous holes or huge chunks missing. Dust still clouded the city making it hard for Ichigo to see. As agitated as he was that he couldn't run full speed, he slowly made way to make sure he was still following the red trail. Another scream was heard and this time, the amber-eyed youth ran towards the helpless plea. He found himself down a darkened alleyway. Towards the back, he finally spotted a short haired woman trembling in the corner. Her face was buried in her arms as she was curled up in a fetal position. It sounded like she was muttering words of comfort, but with the way she trembled it obviously did little use. Yelling her name one last time, Ichigo took a mad dash towards the woman. He knelt down and encircled his arms around her.

"Everything's gonna be alright, Rukia… I promise.. whatever the hell's goin on around here… I'll get you outta here safely…. Seriously, what the fuck IS going on?!"

Shocked, the woman looked up to the orange-headed man. She felt alarmed, but at the same time comforted that a stranger would come to her rescue. Even more so as she found him to be quite attractive even with that nasty looking scowl on his face.

Rukia?... Who the hell is Rukia? My name is Yui. Yui Toyokawa."

Eyes wide open, Ichigo took a good look at the woman's features. It was hard to tell at first because of how dark and dusty everything was around him. Eventually, he could tell that while her hair was short it was merely a dark brown and not jet black. Her face also seemed slightly shorter and more angular than Rukia's and her eyes were a dark brown as well. He then took the time to look back at the ribbon wrapped around his hand and down to follow where it was leading. To his dismay, it led right out of the alley and took a harsh right down one of the tattered streets. Ichigo turned beat red and his body jerked away from the woman, arms completely in the air to indicate he meant no harm, much less to even touch her in such an affectionate way. He tried to apologize, but he couldn't control the volume of his voice. It sounded like he was yelling more than being sincere.

"Ah… I'm sorry! I wasn't tryin' to pull anything; I just thought you were someone else is all!"

The woman seemed somewhat dejected and this made Ichigo feel all the more defensive.

"Ack! No, no! I wasn't really meaning that-.. ah… You're nice and all and maybe if I knew you more I'd be all over yo- NO! Not like.. _THAT_-that.. I just-" He let out a frustrated grunt while his hands were making the notion to pull out his vibrant colored hair. His cheeks burned and the burn intensified once he heard the woman giggling at his antics. He was about to interject, but the woman beat him to the punch. Finally standing, she walked towards him.

"It's okay, I know exactly what you meant.. No harm done." Giving him a wink, Ichigo scowled and turned his head away with his hands on his hips. His cheeks weren't as intense of a red, but there was still a twinge of color. Yui grasped her own hands behind her back while her feet twittled about. "So.. You still gonna save me? I might not be this… Rukia girl you're talking about, but I sure could use your help right now.. I know this is all a dream, but-" her body tensed and shivered at the thought, "this nightmare has to be the worst ever! I mean.. I've been in situations in a dream, but.. not one that feels so-… so.. urgent. Like if I don't make it out alive, then… I might not…" Growing quiet, the woman placed a hand across her chest and she looked at the ground. Ichigo looked at her, concern came in place of his scowl. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her the most genuine smile he could muster in a situation such as theirs.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll get outta here alive, I promise ya that."

A mild blush crept over the woman's face.

"So.. Where'd you come from exactly?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow. The first thought was _'Well.. my mom gave bir__th to me just like everyone else and__-_ but he felt that was a bit too rude to voice. Taking in his questioning expression, she jumped back into the conversation.

"Uh- no no! I mean.. I've never seen you before, dream or no dream.. and you somehow feel.. different. Like there's this.. aura coming from you that makes you stand out amongst the rest of my dream. Kind of like this one woman that showed up before you, but I didn't get a chance to really talk-" Ichigo's eyes widened and he took a hold of the girls shoulders with both hands.

"What woman? What did she look like?!" Yui's eyes widened at his sudden outburst. "I-I'm not sure! Like I said, I didn't get a chance to talk to her! She was rather short and her hair was short and bla-" before she could finish, an enormous explosion occurred just outside of the alley way. They tried to shield themselves from the debris; eyes clenched shut to keep the dust from getting in them. Once the cloud dispersed, Ichigo and Yui couldn't believe their eyes. A huge snake-like monster with a skull for a head was attempting to devour a young woman. She held her own, however, by keeping it in place. Its jaws were wide open, huge bone crushing fangs gleaming in the light. The only thing keeping it from sinking its teeth into her was a slender blade held firmly in her petite hands. The orange haired man couldn't believe what he was seeing. Here he was worried about Rukia and right before him she was fighting this giant monster! Rukia seemed confident against her opponent. However, one quick glance towards Yui and Ichigo dispelled her resolve. Amber met violet.

"Ichigo…"

Seeing her falter, the beast took advantage and pushed hard against her. Feeling the weight shift, Rukia took the chance to jump back. She yelled some sort of incantation Ichigo couldn't make out, held out her hand, and a blue ball of light emanated from her palm. The beast screamed and backed away. It's head burrowing into the concrete. Within seconds, its entire body was immersed underground out of site of the three dreamers. Landing like a feline on her feet, Rukia still couldn't help but stare in wonder that she was seeing Ichigo… Of all the people in the dreaming right now it was he that slipped passed his own barriers and traveled into another being's consciousness.

"How is this possible….?" she let out in a low whisper.

Ichigo smiled at her. Seeing this, the grip Rukia had on her sword tightened. She scowled and felt as if she were a mentor belittling her student.

"What are you doing here? Go home! You shouldn't be here!"

The orange haired man was taken aback. He wasn't expecting such a rude response to seeing him. _Well, maybe rude…_ he thought. _… but that's an entirely different _kind _of rude! _He soon felt his blood boil by her reaction.

"Hey! I came all this way to find you and now that I have, this is the way you're gonna be? Pfft… fuck that… and what the hell's up with the death robes and sword?! And what the HELL was that giant snake thing?!"

Feeling her eyebrows knitting together, Rukia was getting more agitated by the second. This could _not_ have happened at a more horrible time… "Quit being a stubborn ass and get outta here, Ichigo! It's not sa- *gasp*" Her eyes grew wide as she saw black and white flash and fade across the opening of the alley way along the roof top. The skull of a snake slithered creepily down towards Ichigo and Yui, its mouth opening wider as it inched closer and closer. Holding her two palms out Rukia shouted "Hado 33! Sokatsui!" Pale blue fire shot from her hands and struck the creature in its face. The beast howled its dreadful shriek as it thrashed its head about. This gave Ichigo time to help Yui out of the alleyway before the debris from the buildings fell upon them from the creatures flails. Sighing to herself, the raven haired woman lower her arms, eyes closed. _That was much too close…_ Suddenly, she heard rubble clatter not far from a giant hole to her left. It couldn't have been from Ichigo or the girl… they went in the opposite direction. Maybe it was a few loose pebbles falling. She couldn't help but feel instinct drive her to tighten her grip on her sword again. She felt her body tense up getting ready for anything to come at her. Looking over, she saw Ichigo carrying Yui not far from her. He turned around to face Rukia with an apologetic expression on his face. It was rash of him to let himself put everyone in danger all because he had a strange attraction to someone. Despite his motive Rukia couldn't help but relax as she gazed at him. A soft smile graced her lips and her eyes became less intense. She might not have known him for very long, but it was obvious this person meant no harm. Putting Yui down to stand beside him, Ichigo's smile grew wider by seeing Rukia smile. Although this growing warmth he felt within soon turned as cold as ice. He had no time to say or do anything except watch…. watch as an unscathed snake head lashed out from the hole next to Rukia and sink its teeth into her flesh.

_Warm…. It feels warm… _were her first thoughts as she felt the blood pour from her shoulder and down her arms, chest.. back… legs… It wasn't the pain that was more noticeable but the feeling of something putting pressure against her. As the seconds past, the encumbrance became more intense. She was having trouble breathing, only being able to take small quick gasps of air. Raising her right arm she aimed it at the beasts face as well as she could. With the snake head's fangs sinking into her left shoulder it was hard to get a decent angle.

"… Bastard!" she said through clenched teeth, "Hado….. 33… soku- sss- soku" a grunt of pain escaped past her lips as she felt the ivory seep into her further. No doubt because it wanted to give her a devastating wound before she cast her spell. "Damnit! Hado 33! SOKATSUI~!" Once the blast hit the creature's face it let go with a pained screech only to burrow back down into the earth.

Slow motion took over. She could barely feel her knees hit the ground first… vaguely noticed her body hit the concrete with a low thud… and faintly heard the calling of her name with frantic footsteps followed close behind.

Ichigo, crouching next to Rukia's still form, turned her over and held her in his arms. He looked over her face for any sign of life, his eyes glancing back to her wound leaving him to wonder how fatal the bite was. Saying her name over and over, the orange haired man began to shake the woman frantically. Fluttering, violet eyes were slowly revealed; although a haze seemed to fog over her brilliant orbs.

"Rukia… Rukia! Look at me! Damnit, I said LOOK at me!" Slowly.. but surely… her eyes wavered to stare at the distraught man. She could see fear and panic penetrating through his burning amber eyes. She stared deeply in response, trying to wash away his angst and let him know that it's okay. Ichigo seemed to get the hint, but anger flickered in his fiery gaze.

"Fuck that! I'm not gonna relinquish my feelings for you just 'cause you're the one that's gotta be all "honorable" and shit! I'm not gonna let you die here… Not while I'm around."

Taking in a sharp, painful gasp, Rukia tried to move, but was held down by Ichigo. "We… we have to save her…. The girl… It's here for her and her alone. It won't leave without her…" He understood. Setting the raven haired woman down, he stood his full length. Determination emanated from him and he knew the creature had to be stopped one way or another. "I'll stop it." He said while holding his fist clenched in front of him. A blood curdling shriek could be heard in the distance, startling him.

"And how do you propose to do this, Ichigo?"

The orange haired man looked down at Rukia. He was eager to respond, but soon faltered… How was he supposed to stop such a massive creature on his own?

"I know… I can do what you did. This is a dream, right? I can just imagine myself with a sword and it should appear.. and I just have to imagine myself to be as strong as you are! I got here that way, didn't I?"

Shaking her head, Rukia let out a sigh, "It's not that simple, Ichigo… You need something more."

Another boom and ploom of dust could be seen not far from them. The giant creature was coming back.

"Then what is it that I need, Rukia? What the hell am I missing? You're too injured and I'm the only one here who can at least _try _to stop this thing from taking Yui!"

It took just about all her strength to stand, and even then Ichigo had to catch her. She stole his gaze with her hypnotic stare. He could see how serious and determined she was… yet in the midst of it all, there was a hint of great sadness.

"You need this…-" another explosion distracted the two. This one was close enough to cloud them with dust. Ichigo had to look away; his eyes were clenched tightly and he began to cough from inhaling the debris. He tried to look back at Rukia and ask her what it was she meant, but was interrupted. He felt soft, moist lips clash into his. It felt cold and it left him curious if it was because of the blood loss or if she always felt like icy snow in winter moonlight. Ichigo couldn't resist the temptation to fade into the kiss. However… the feeling of warmth and the taste of copper shocked his vulnerable senses. He felt a slip of warmth slither down the corner of his lips as he realized she gave him blood. After a few moments passed, it was Rukia who broke the kiss. Her head was down, eyes shaded by her raven bangs. Ichigo was too stunned to say or do anything. He kept looking down at her, waiting for her to be the first to speak.

"And you need… one more thing…" Her voice seemed to tremble. She finally looked up towards him, unshed tears evident in her eyes.

Ice shot through his core. The intense feeling of winter pervaded his inner being. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared into her saddened eyes.

"I'm sorry…" was all she whispered in his ear as she slid her blade out from Ichigo's chest. Everything grew cold and a flash of white was all Ichigo could see.

* * *

The intensity of bright lights stung at his eyes. His head was throbbing, and he felt as though he were waking from a heavy sleep. Finally adjusting to the lights, Ichigo searched the room. He found he was lying on a couch in what looked to be a storage room with large, well lit cosmetic mirrors. He saw his friends were surrounding him, all with surprised expressions. Yawning, Ichigo stretched out his arms and legs.

"So what'd I miss?"

Everyone exclaimed his name, clearly happy to see him awake. Renji smacked Ichigo on the forehead.

"Ow! The hell you do that for, Abarai?!"  
"You get knocked out and force all of us to worry about you and that's all you have to say?! What'd you miss?! Pfft… my ass…"

Renji crossed his arms and closed his eyes, clearly frustrated. Tatsuki glared at the pineapple headed man.

"Renji… it's not like Ichigo's pansy ass just _wanted_ to get knocked out. You saw the size of that knot on his head… The hell does Urahara stuff in those storage boxes… rocks?"

Ichigo glared at Tatsuki for the "pansy ass" comment, but decided not to bother getting into it. Instead, he realized what was going on and remembered they were going to perform a concert before he passed out.

"Hey! What about the gig? Are we still on? Did I miss it?" He looked around, waiting for an answer. Uryu was the first to respond.  
"That's right! We're only fifteen minutes late. We shouldn't have to give all those people their money back after all."

Tatsuki shot her arms up in triumph, "Alright! Let's rock their fuckin' socks off!" a large grin was spread across her face. Renji put an arm around her shoulder with just as large of a toothy grin on his face as hers. Ichigo jumped out of his seat and stretched once more.

"Then let's do it! Let's go rock their fuckin' socks off!" Everyone cheered and headed out of the door to the stage. Before Ichigo could make it out, Orihime stopped him.

"Uh- wa-wait… Ichigo… I'm…" She looked sheepishly down. Her chicks burned with red and her disposition gave the impression of a child apologizing for something they terribly regretted. The words couldn't leave her lips. The orange haired man put a hand on her shoulder. He gave her a soft smile with accepting eyes.

"It's okay Orihime. You didn't intend for it to happen." The auburn haired woman didn't seem to change her temperament. Even though she was happy Ichigo forgave her, it still didn't change the situation for her… She felt her clumsiness almost ruined the whole night. He tightened the grip on her shoulder.

"Hey… next time you feel the need to hug me like that… make sure there isn't a huge stack of boxes behind me, alright?" Finally, she looked at him. Her blush intensified and she smiled at him. He winked back in response and walked past her.

All Ichigo could hear was the cheering of fans throughout the club. He stood in the center of the stage with his electric guitar in hand. The lights were a blinding white, making it hard to see past the wooden planks he stood upon. The lights reminded him of something…. something that happened to him, which now felt like a distant memory. A dream that fades upon awakening, yet one that felt as lucid as reality. Grinning, Ichigo stepped up to the microphone. He felt alive with passion and he could feel the aura of the crowd fueling him to perform.

"Alright you guys… before we start off, I actually have a song."

He turned to look at his band mates, who all had the same curious expressions. It wasn't a part of their original plan, but Ichigo just shrugged and gave a "bear with me" expression. Putting his guitar down, he made a quick dash back stage. He emerged with an acoustic guitar and strapped it on. Taking in a deep breath, Ichigo closed his eyes and concentrated. The pick he held began to make contact with his guitar strings as he strummed a rhythmic tune. He took in another breath and began to sing and harmonize with his guitar.

_**(Song I don't own: "Fly From the Inside" acoustic version Band: Shinedown/Singer: Brent Smith)**_

What came out described a scene filled with energy and excitement; a story that unfolded his inner being and finally setting it free as it was meant to. He felt the warmness of his inner core shine for all to see as he stood in the spotlight and all soon faded to silence- the only things existing in this plane were Ichigo and his music while a lurking beauty still lingered within the shadows, almost unnoticed.

* * *

**A/N: **Well... there it is. Hopefully it won't take forever and a day for the next chapter to come up... hopefully... I do love writing this story.. Anyway, before I forget, the very first chapter had two different songs. It was "Tell Me What the Rain Knows" and that one is actually from Wolf's Rain. Very beautiful... and haunting... the piano really makes you think of rain drops... and the second was "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden/Chris Cornell. That one, if you wanna listen to it, I had the acoustic version in mind for that particular scene. None of the songs, I really imagine Ichigo sounding like... but the meaning to each song is really the impression of what I'd like to imply. So anyone who thinks "Well this shouldn't sound like him!" then... yes... I think that too ... and that's why you imagine what he WOULD sound like with the songs as I can't take the same songs and have Johnny Yong Bosh sing each and every one of these songs for me in Ichigo's voice... xP Geez... If I could, that would be.. fucking... orgasmic... ANYWAY! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.. and if it's some time before I'm able to update or if this never gets updated again... then.. see you space cowboy *brownie points to those that get the ref*


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